The 2023 NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and the Celtics made one move for bench depth. Their top competition out west, meanwhile, got aggressive and improved their championship chances.
By extension, Boston’s chances of winning it all went down, if by only a tick.
But in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics should still be considered the favorite after the end of the trade deadline, and their chances of coming out of the east arguably improved. That’s despite their only move being for big man Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder. As reported by Brian Robb of MassLive, the C’s stood pat after acquiring Muscala from OKC.
DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 14: Mike Muscala #33 of the Oklahoma City Thunder puts up a shot against the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter at Pepsi Center on December 14, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 13: Mike Muscala #33 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots over Patrick Williams #44 of the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center on January 13, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Here’s a recap of the most notable moves made by the Celtics’ chief competition at the trade deadline…
Bucks Get Crowder
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 10: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against Jae Crowder #99 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on December 10, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Celtics’ top remaining obstacle in the Eastern Conference was the Bucks before the trade deadline, and they still are afterward. Milwaukee’s “big” move was to bring in Jae Crowder from the Nets, who quickly spun him off after getting him in the Kevin Durant trade.
This deal is kind of goofy, because the Nets’ return for Crowder? Five second-round picks. That’s just delightfully outrageous. But Crowder gives the Bucks a solid “3-and-D” guy who can be annoying to play against, so they must hope he will be able to disrupt things for the Celtics’ top scorers.
Verdict: The Celtics should still beat the Bucks in a seven-game series, with or without Crowder going against them.
Sixers Get Jalen McDaniels
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 14: Jalen McDaniels #6 of the Charlotte Hornets guards Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics in the first quarter during their game at Spectrum Center on January 14, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Philadelphia may have been thinking the same thing as Milwaukee: we need a forward to come off the bench and play hard at both ends of the floor, and ideally make it tough on guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Jalen McDaniels has a chance to deliver some value for them in that department.
End of the day, though, this isn’t a huge needle-mover for the Sixers. It’s not really the level of move they had to make to truly become a concern for the Celtics.
West Gets Better
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 04: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets high fives Yuta Watanabe #18 against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center on January 04, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Celtics’ expectation this season is to win it all, right? So it’s worth keeping an eye on the Western Conference, where the biggest names ended up landing.
— The Suns acquired Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren from the Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected first-round picks. The “unprotected” part is wild. Those later picks (2027, 2029) could be anywhere. Deal is a win-win, with the Suns really going for it in the next two years and possibly being the Celtics’ biggest roadblock to a title. But those picks alone make it a big haul for Brooklyn.
— The Warriors made a series of moves that amounted to, essentially, a four-team trade. After the dust settled, they had acquired guard Gary Payton II from the Blazers. They sent out former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to the Pistons for Saddiq Bey and Kevin Knox, then sent Bey to the Hawks for five second-round picks, then traded Knox and the picks for Payton. Enough movement to make heads spin, but ultimately, the Warriors added Payton and that’s it.
— The Nuggets acquired center Thomas Bryant from the Lakers for Davon Reed and three second-round picks. Denver gets a starting-caliber big boy around the rim to pair with MVP candidate Nikola Jokić in the frontcourt.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 03: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown #7 celebrate during the third quarter of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden on May 03, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
